Administrative Services Division

 
Professional Standards Unit

The Professional Standards Unit is responsible for handling citizen’s complaints, investigating misconduct, and handling civil complaints brought against the department and its employees.  The unit is also the custodian of records for employees’ personnel files and complaints.  In all, the Professional Standards Unit performs three basic tasks:
  

1. By law police departments are required to have a procedure in place by which complaints made against their personnel are received and investigated.  The Professional Standards Unit is responsible for this function.  The unit also receives and investigates complaints against employees which originate within the police department.  These investigations are administrative only, and usually deal with violations of personal conduct, policy, or procedure.  The unit is prohibited from conducting criminal investigations.  In the event that an employee is accused of a crime, the investigation done by Professional Standards is parallel to, but separate from, the criminal investigation.  Personnel investigations consume the majority of the time and energy expended by unit personnel.

2. Claims made against the city as a result of police action are investigated by the unit.  Unit personnel also assist the City Attorney in defending lawsuits, organizing reports and data to be used civilly, and in the defense of arbitration and suits brought as a result of discipline of personnel.

3. Peace officers’ personnel files and discipline histories are protected by law.  As a general rule, access to these records can only be had through a civil process known as a “Pitchess” motion.  The unit is the city’s custodian of records for these purposes, and assists the City Attorney in the preparation for and defense of these motions.  Most of these motions end up in confidential, “in camera” court hearings.